


Flecks of Red

by lionessvalenti



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Blood Loss, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Stitches
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:34:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,088
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24210676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionessvalenti/pseuds/lionessvalenti
Summary: Bucky is wounded. Loki stitches him back together. It must be love.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Loki
Comments: 6
Kudos: 72
Collections: Hurt Comfort Exchange 2020





	Flecks of Red

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Unforgotten](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unforgotten/gifts).



"What were you thinking? Are you a complete fool? Did you not remember any part of the plan? Were you looking to lose both your arms?"

Bucky had to assume these were rhetorical questions. If Loki expected an answer, he wasn't giving Bucky a chance to reply. He held Loki's blood-soaked shirt tighter to the slash in his arm as the two of them retreated back onto the ship.

"Kronans are not all dimwitted buffoons like Korg," Loki continued as he maneuvered Bucky into a seat in the galley. He grabbed the medical kit and began rooting through it for supplies. "You're lucky you weren't crushed beneath a ton of solid rock."

Perhaps it was the blood loss, but Bucky felt especially pliable. Yes, he'd acted rashly, resulting in a gash running from elbow to shoulder. On the other hand (and he did not have hands to spare, he thought with a chuckle), he liked Loki fussing over him. Loki never fussed, at least not about anyone besides himself.

"What are you laughing about?" Loki asked. Since his shirt was currently wrapped around Bucky's arm, Loki's upper body was scarcely covered by a white undershirt that bared his arms and collarbones. Bucky had seen Loki naked on multiple occasions, yet somehow, he had missed these glorious details in Loki's anatomy. "You cannot possibly find this funny."

"No," Bucky replied, forcing his mouth into a frown, even though another laugh threatened to slip out. "It's not."

"I'm glad we're in agreement." Loki put on a pair of medical gloves and peeled away the ruined shirt, gently moving Bucky's vibranium hand out of the way as he did. Loki was always pale, but he appeared absolutely ghostly as he took in the wound.

"Is it worse?"

Loki swallowed hard and shook his head. He replaced the shirt with clean gauze that began to soak with blood immediately. "No. But you'll need to be stitched back together. Does it hurt?"

Bucky shook his head. "But I think I might be in shock."

"I think you're right."

In the months that Bucky had known Loki, for all of their adventures and fucking, Loki had never once said that Bucky had been right about anything. He might as well have declared his love for the rush of warmth that filled Bucky's chest. It might have also been the painkiller Loki had injected him with, but with the real possibility of death, or at least a second amputation on the line, Bucky chose to believe it was love.

Bucky leaned forward and caught Loki's mouth with his own. His body was numb, but he could feel the warmth of Loki's mouth, and his slight chap on his lips. It reminded Bucky of the first time they had kissed when they were still on Earth. 

He had been the one to corner Loki against the back wall of the community building, but it was Loki who went in for the kiss. It had been a wet and sloppy kiss too, fueled by desire, not competence. He would never forget the way Loki panted against him as Bucky kissed his neck, breathily begging for more.

The Loki now responded briefly to the kiss, then pushed Bucky back into his seat. "You _cannot_ kiss me while you're bleeding."

"Did you want to hear about our first kiss?" Bucky asked, only sort of realizing that the question made no sense. Loki didn't have the context of his thoughts. If he did, that first kiss would have been much sooner.

Loki opened up a package with an individual sterilized needle. The silver point glinted against the overhead light. "You don't need to tell me. I was there. You should save your energy and stop talking."

"Because I'm a complete fool?"

"Yes."

The painkiller must have been settling in, because Bucky began to feel incredibly drowsy. "Can you keep talking to me? You can keep telling me how stupid I am."

"I have lots of material for that," Loki replied, completely deadpan. He did something, Bucky wasn't looking, but instead of taking the opportunity to roast Bucky's obvious incompetencies that lead to this moment, he asked, "Did you feel that?"

"Feel what?" 

"Good." Loki was quiet for a few moments, his brow furrowed with concentration. When he spoke again, his voice was quieter. "I don't think you're stupid. I merely prefer you whole."

"Yeah, me too, buddy," Bucky replied.

Once Loki had Bucky's arm stitched up and wrapped, he sent Bucky to bed, and Bucky was in no position to protest. If he thought he was pliable before, he was now putty in Loki's hands. Loki all but tucked him into their bed.

"I'm going to get us off this forsaken planet and back to Earth where you can be properly attended to," Loki said. The front of his undershirt was spattered with blood. There was a fleck of blood on his cheek, as well. "You get some rest."

Bucky shook his head, despite his eyelids already threatening to close. He tried to wink, but it came out more like a long blink. "When you come back, I'll thank you for all your hard work."

Loki raised his eyebrows. "I don't know how you can be feeling amorous after that much blood loss."

"You're in love with me," Bucky said, as if that was somehow a response to Loki's statement.

Despite the very confident declaration, Loki appeared unimpressed. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

"I've never seen you look so scared."

Loki paused, eyes wide, letting the statement sink in. His features smoothed, and he leaned in close, touching on hand to Bucky's cheek. "You're rambling. Sleep, and things will be clearer when you wake." He pressed a chaste, dry kiss to the corner of Bucky's mouth and left the room.

With nothing to keep his mind occupied, Bucky closed his eyes and his mind went blank, dropping like a rock to sleep within seconds.

He wasn't sure how long he slept for, his internal clock completely broken from exhaustion, but when Bucky woke, he wasn't in the bed alone. He turned his head to the side to look at Loki, who was asleep with one arm draped protectively over Bucky's chest.

Bucky smiled. The events from earlier were a blur, but Loki had been correct that things would be clearer. It was very clear, that while Loki might not admit it, but Bucky had been right about two things. He closed his eyes and drifted back to sleep.


End file.
